As You Wish
by terreisa
Summary: Who knew that three simple words could change meaning the more they're said? Especially to the person they're being said to. A Captain Swan AU, told in two parts.
1. Emma

**The characters belong to Kitsis and Horowitz. I just let them out to play**

* * *

"As you wish."

The first time he said it, Emma brushed it off. There was no way Killian could know the significance those three words had for her. True, they had been talking about their favorite movies around the campfire that morning but Mary Margaret and Regina were the only ones who had nodded approvingly at her choice, The Princess Bride. In fact, Killian and David had been arguing about the Terminator movies at the time and most likely hadn't heard a word the girls' conversation.

It was a weird enough trip as it was. They hadn't really planned on going camping but David insisted they needed to get away for the weekend to 'find' themselves. For some reason Mary Margaret had invited Regina, most likely in another attempt to make nice with the woman. In a move that had shocked everyone, Mary Margaret included, Regina had accepted. In what Emma considered retaliation she had invited Killian, figuring if she had to play nice with Regina all weekend she'd need someone on her side if things went south. It had nothing to do with the fact that things with Killian had been drifting along in an interesting direction. It definitely had nothing to do with Emma trying to figure out if she was up for the possibility of where it could end up.

The trip hadn't been half bad. Sure, Regina couldn't leave her razor sharp tongue behind and David and Mary Margaret were practically suffocating them all with their saccharine love affair but they were getting along for the most part and she was having fun.

So when Emma kissed Killian while they were gathering dry branches she blamed it on letting her good mood get away with her. She hadn't anticipated that he would respond so eagerly or with such fervor. Aware that someone would notice their absence she broke off the kiss and told him to get the rest of the wood for the fire. His three word answer made her steps falter as she walked back to their campsite.

There was no way he could have known that she had watched the movie endlessly when she was stuck in one foster home for the seemingly long time of six months. Or that when she found out it was a book she had checked it out from a library and never returned it, mostly because she was shipped to a new home but partly because she couldn't stand not being able to read it again and again. Most of all it was impossible that he could know that she had spent night after night hoping that she could possibly find a love so true that even Death couldn't stop it.

Therefore Emma brushed it off, figuring he had heard some part of the gushing between Mary Margaret, Regina and herself while they talked about their favorite scenes. She pointedly ignored the soft look in his blue eyes and the gentleness in his voice when he spoke to her the rest of the trip. Those words meant nothing to him after all.

* * *

The second time he said it she barely registered the words. She hadn't really taken notice of much going on around her, not when her thoughts were raging like a hurricane in her head. Mary Margaret and David had been talking over each other trying to comfort her and see if she was okay. Killian on the other hand had kept his distance and his mouth shut, which was the reason she had turned to him.

It was another weekend where they had decided to get away. The camping trip had been fun but they all agreed that it would be a while before a repeat performance. Killian had been the one to suggest they go sailing instead. He had been fixing up a boat for years and it was finally seaworthy. He said he would be honored to take them out for the maiden voyage of the Jolly Roger, a name that Emma had tried not to laugh at when he first told her. Not because she thought it was silly but because she thought it was all too appropriate. There was no denying that Killian had a bit of pirate in him, leather and eyeliner aside.

They only sailed to the next town over but there was something adventurous about getting there by boat. Killian was a hell of a captain, something she was ashamed to be surprised by. She didn't know much about sailing but she could tell he was in his element and doing a damn good job of it too. Knowing she would just get in the way or mess something up she had stayed seated next to Mary Margaret and enjoyed the sight of Killian and David trying not to kill each other as they tried to find a working rhythm.

It had only taken them an hour or so to get to their destination. They had planned on getting lunch and exploring the town before sailing back to Storybrooke. Everything had gone to hell when Emma stepped outside of the deli they had finally chosen to eat at. She had been looking down at her phone when she walked straight into the man on the sidewalk. The apology died on her lips when she looked up into too familiar brown eyes. Eyes that she had dreamed about for years and cursed for just as long.

Neal looked happy to see her and after what he'd done to her it was too much, and not enough. Soon she was yelling and he was yelling right back, trying to get her off the street so they could talk without attracting attention. The others rush out of the deli, David blocking Emma from Neal's view as he told him to leave, Mary Margaret pulling Emma back inside, and Killian standing in the middle of it all, eyes fixed on Emma but she could see his jaw clenching and hands curling into fists.

After Neal disappeared down the street David and Mary Margaret had descended on her. Ignoring them both she had turned to Killian and asked if he would take them home. He answered her without hesitation and led the way back to the docks. It wasn't until she was curled up in bed watching the movie later that night that she realized what he said and that maybe the words meant a little bit more to him than they did before.

* * *

The third time he says the words she knows exactly what he means but it's too late. Whatever could have happened between them had been overshadowed by Neal's return and her need to escape. She was leaving, her yellow bug was stuffed full of boxes and bags, and she was with her few friends at Granny's Diner to say goodbye.

It had only taken Neal twenty-four hours to find her again. Ten minutes after that Neal ran into the man he had been running from since he was thirteen. Emma hadn't known that Mr. Gold, who owned half the town, was Neal's father. She had come to Storybrooke on a whim, turned out Fate had bigger things in store for her. If her reunion with Neal had been rough then Neal's reunion with Mr. Gold was beyond comparison.

In the month and a half that followed Emma had come to a realization that despite everything, abandoning her, getting sent to jail, the baby she had given up, she still loved Neal. He had decided to stay after the initial tensions with his father and tried to reestablish any kind of relationship with Emma. That more than anything was what convinced Emma to apply for a job in New York that she barely qualified for. Being around Neal was too painful and if she wanted to move forward in her life then she had to do it away from him.

She hadn't told anyone her plans until the job was hers. Mary Margaret was crushed when she found out, David only a little less so. They were the two closest things to family she had ever had and she hated hurting them but they understood her motives. Even if Mary Margaret had been trying to get Emma to give Neal another chance.

Telling Killian was another ordeal all together. Somewhere along the line of their friendship things had shifted between them. Killian had always been a huge flirt, especially with her. One night, not long after Neal had moved into town, he had confessed his feelings had changed, become more. It had blindsided her and opened her eyes to things she had been trying not to see. His timing couldn't have been worse, Neal's return had her less willing than ever to start a relationship and she had mailed her application that morning.

She hadn't told him about leaving then because she wasn't even sure if she was going to go through with it. When she went down to the docks after breaking the news to Mary Margaret and David he somehow already knew. He smiled sadly as he told her that she was an open book and that he hoped she would find whatever happiness she was looking for.

Killian had joined the small farewell party at Granny's along with Mary Margaret, David, and even Regina and Neal. She said her goodbyes, finally parting with Neal on good terms and giving Mary Margaret an extra long hug. When she got to Killian he made a half hearted quip about her car that she played along with. She told him not to forget about her and he seemed to pour his heart into the words he used as a promise.

She didn't look in the rearview mirror as she drove away, afraid that the tears in her eyes wouldn't stop once they began to fall.

* * *

The final time he says them it was a year later and she was back in Storybrooke. The occasion wasn't a happy one, in fact it was far from it. She was dressed in black and no one wanted to speak in anything louder than a murmur. Mary Margaret and David had barely left her side and she wasn't sure she wanted them to.

She had gotten the call at eight fifteen in the morning on a Thursday. Her pancakes and hot chocolate had gotten cold as she listened to Mary Margaret trying not to cry as she broke the news. Neal had been killed by a drunk driver. A stupid, senseless act that tipped Emma's world on its axis again.

It had taken a few hours to settle everything at work and pack before she was on the road back to Maine. She drove the six and a half hour trip in almost complete silence. Trying to get her thoughts and feelings in order was enough of a distraction. She only stopped once to fill up her gas tank and to let Mary Margaret know she was almost there.

Her return to town was undramatic. Not much had changed, but Storybrooke was the type of town that seemed to only change once in a blue moon. Her old parking space was open and as she pulled in she felt a sense of nostalgia that came out of nowhere. Walking up to the loft she had shared with Mary Margaret and David doubled the feeling.

Several days passed before the funeral and Emma spent it mostly reconnecting with people and accepting their condolences. The only person she couldn't seem to find didn't make an appearance until the burial. One moment she was standing alone beside the open grave as the casket was being lowered and the next Killian was standing beside her, a silent pillar of support.

The mourners gathered at Granny's after the burial. Mr. Gold was nowhere to be seen, David had told her that he hadn't really left his house since the accident. They were sitting in a booth while Mary Margaret was getting them drinks from the counter. When Killian slid into the seat beside her David excused himself giving her an encouraging smile.

They hadn't spoken much since she had left and she wasn't sure if it was more her fault or his. Just like the town he didn't seem to have changed much in her absence. There was an air of hopefulness about him that set her on edge. She hadn't come back for a beginning, she had come back to put things at rest. When Emma told him that he looked her straight in the eye as he replied. The finality of those three words made her heart stutter as he stood up and walked away.

* * *

It was a week later and she was leaving again. Emma hadn't been planning on staying for that long but the pull of Storybrooke was stronger than she realized. It had taken a while to place the ache she felt when she had first come back to town. She had been having lunch at Granny's when she realized that the feeling was being homesick.

Growing up in the foster system had kept her from being in one place long enough to form any attachments. Seeing her friends, walking through town, and just feeling content had made Emma realize that maybe she had been running long enough. Her contract with her job was almost up and she had nothing back in New York that was worth keeping her there.

She had stopped at Neal's grave, the headstone finally in place and told him everything she couldn't when he was still alive. Her tears had fallen but left behind a calm and surety that she held on to as she made her decision. The only regret she had was that Neal's death was what made her realize what she truly wanted.

The next day Emma had told Mary Margaret and David her plan. They were ecstatic and assured her that her room was still hers, no matter what. She had hugged them both and promised that she wouldn't be staying in New York for long. Just long enough to turn in her notice and tie up loose ends in the city.

It was late afternoon by the time she stopped at Granny's to grab a coffee before she hit the road. As she left the diner she saw Killian sitting at one of the tables on the patio. She hadn't seen him since the funeral, hadn't had the chance to apologize for her behavior. He graced her with a smile and knew she was forgiven without saying the words.

As she explained that she didn't have time for a drink she saw a brief flicker of pain in his eyes. Before she could tell him that she was coming back he grabbed her hand and looked at her, his emotions written plainly across his face. Killian hastened to tell her that his feelings hadn't changed, that when she came back he had begun to hope, and that he would wait for her. He asked her to return to Storybrooke, to give them a chance.

She answered him with three simple words.

"As you wish."


	2. Killian

**Time for Killian's perspective of the events.**

**The characters still belong to Kitsis and Horowitz. Let's play.**

* * *

"As you wish."

When he first said the phrase to Emma he didn't mean anything by it. Killian was a man of many things but sentimental he was not. Sure, he had watched The Princess Bride before. What young lad hadn't wanted to be the Dread Pirate Roberts at one point? He must have unconsciously latched onto what Emma and the other ladies had been rambling on about while he tried to convince David that the third Terminator was nothing but a waste of two hours.

Killian didn't know what had possessed Emma to invite him to go camping with her best friends and Regina Mills but it was a golden opportunity he wasn't going to pass up. They had been flirting back and forth for months, which Killian found frustrating and gratifying in equal measure. It had been a long time since someone had resisted his charm and even longer since anyone had charmed him right back.

The trip had been enlightening in many ways. Regina, it seemed, only agreed to go on the trip to get Mary Margaret off her back but was reluctantly having a good time. David and Mary Margaret were almost disgustingly perfect for each other. Watching them made Killian's chest ache, but he believed he was able to hide it well. Emma was the one who surprised him the most. He had never seen her so carefree, happy, and just enjoying herself wholeheartedly.

He had jumped at the opportunity to gather firewood with her on their last night of the trip. She had only rolled her eyes at him twice during dinner and he considered it great progress that needed to be cultivated carefully. They had only walked several meters from the campsite, him flirting shamelessly and her shaking her head while she passed him fallen branches, when she stopped and turned around to face him. Before he could do more than make a quip about thanking him properly for essentially being a pack mule she was grabbing him by the front of his sweatshirt and pressing her lips against his.

It only took a second for him to respond, dropping the sticks he was holding and wrapping his arms around her. Before he had a chance to fully appreciate what was happening she pulled away looking flustered and a bit off kilter. She dazedly told him to gather more wood as she turned to walk back to the campsite.

He didn't think he could be blamed that the quote was the first thing that popped into his head after Emma went and kissed him. It was infinitely better than some of the phrases he had imagined saying in his fantasies of finally kissing Emma Swan. The kiss was definitely better than he had imagined as well. The fact that his world seemed to have suddenly started spinning in the opposite direction was nothing more than all the fresh air he had been breathing. Nothing more at all.

* * *

The next time he said it he wished he could have told her so much more. That she was brilliant and strong and anyone who had abandoned her didn't deserve a minute of her time. He had known bits and pieces of her history with Neal but watching her reaction to seeing the man again after so many years had answered any question Killian might have had about it.

After their camping trip it had taken Killian an almost embarrassingly short amount of time to realize that his feelings for Emma were more than just a fleeting fancy. It had been years since his last relationship had ended in the worst way possible. He hadn't thought it was possible to move on from Milah's death but Emma had proven him wrong on that. The kiss she had bestowed on him in the woods had unlocked his battered heart.

When David had suggested another trip out of Storybrooke Killian had jumped at the opportunity to impress and woo Emma. His pride and joy, the Jolly Roger, was finally seaworthy. He had seen the flicker of awe on her face when she stepped on board and he felt like he was sailing on air the entire trip to the next town over. Even David's piss poor job of following directions couldn't damper his good mood.

It all came crashing down when he heard Emma arguing with someone outside the deli they had chosen for lunch. One moment he had been trying to decide between soup or a sandwich, the next he was out on the sidewalk trying to quell his urge to punch the man called Neal across the jaw as he watched Emma try to control her own emotions. Killian didn't take his eyes of Emma as Mary Margaret tried to take her back into the deli and Neal retreated down the street.

He had gloomily rejoiced when she turned to him, asking him to take them back home. He tried to put everything he wasn't saying into the three words he hoped could come to mean something for them. She remained silent the entire trip back, ignoring David and Mary Margaret's worried glances and hesitant questions. It wasn't until he was helping her onto the dock at Storybrooke's marina that she finally spoke, thanking him for taking them out and apologizing for ruining the day.

Before Killian could respond she had walked away with Mary Margaret trailing unhappily behind her. David stayed behind to help him pack up and to give him a better idea about what Neal had done to Emma. While David didn't give him all the details it was enough to set Killian's teeth on edge and wish that he had gone through with his inclination to knock the ass onto the ground.

After making sure the Jolly was battened down and set until the next time he was able to take her out he had headed straight for Emma and Mary Margaret's apartment with David. He was only slightly disappointed when he got there and Mary Margaret told him that Emma didn't want to see anyone. He hadn't entirely thought through his reasons for going there in the first place and figured it was for the best that he didn't try to bumble his way around an explanation. As he turned to leave he fancied he could hear the sounds of Wesley matching wits with Vizzini coming from the direction of her room, but didn't dwell on it. It wasn't as though the simple words he had said to her earlier had served their purpose and conveyed everything he had left unsaid.

* * *

When he said the words for the third time she knew exactly what he meant but he was too late, Emma was leaving. Her yellow bug was stuffed from floor to ceiling with the various objects that made up her life. She couldn't fit anything, or anyone, else in even if she tried. A fitting description for the woman herself if he cared to admit it.

Killian had known the moment that Neal had decided to stay in Storybrooke that losing Emma was a sure thing. Whether it was to the man from her past or to some unknown future, Killian somehow knew that he wasn't going to be in the picture. It didn't mean that he was going to go down without a fight.

Emma had joined him one night at The Rabbit Hole looking for an escape from the complicated mess that had become her life. He had taken one look at her and known that she had made some sort of decision regarding Neal. She had always been easy to read and that night her state of mind was playing across her face and in her eyes without a single barrier.

Not wanting to add to her distress but unwilling to let her go without at least making a case for himself, he had laid his heart on the line. He told her everything he had come to realize since their kiss back when they had gone camping. Shock and hesitation had danced in her eyes but it was the sudden realization, as though pieces of a puzzle had fallen perfectly into place, that had him hoping she would choose him.

The hope died a week later when she approached his boat with a look of desperate determination. He had tried to smile when he told her he knew she was leaving and that she had always been an open book to him. It hurt like hell when he went on to say that he hoped she found happiness, even when he was yelling inside that she might find it with him.

The day Emma left she took a part of him with her. She had told him not to forget her and the phrase, the one he had wanted to be theirs, spilled from his lips. He only received a ghost of a smile and a gentle press of her hand on his arm. Then she was climbing into her car and driving away.

Killian stood watching until there was nothing left to see. He hadn't taken much notice of the others who had also joined the farewell party and didn't bother noticing when they left him alone in front of Granny's. He was sure that they had gone inside to eat or drink or whatever they needed to do to distract themselves but Killian wasn't in the mood to socialize. Instead, he chose to distract himself at home and had to get a stiff drink when Prince Humperdinck set the machine to fifty. The sound of ultimate suffering hit too close to home for him to keep watching unaided.

* * *

A year had crawled by before she had returned to the town she once called home. Killian had hoped her return would have been a joyful one instead of one filled with sorrow. He found that her heart had only hardened in her absence, shutting him down before he even had the chance to say hello. He had bit back the words he wanted to hurl at her and instead ground out the three words that meant everything to him and nothing to her.

He had been out of town when David called him with the news of Neal's death. While Killian hadn't become friends with Emma's ex, he had come to respect the man. Neal had taken over some of the responsibilities of his father's many endeavours. One of which put them in direct contact with each other on a regular basis. The man was stubborn and short sighted but Killian learned quickly that Neal was someone to have on his side.

It had taken him three days to get back to Storybrooke for the funeral, due to the delicate negotiations he had been making on behalf of his boss. David had let him know that they were at the cemetery and Killian had driven straight there. He was still in the suit he wore for work, wrinkled from the drive, but he adjusted the tie and smoothed it as best he could as he walked towards the group of mourners all in black.

Emma wasn't hard to spot. A year of memories hadn't done her justice and Killian could only see her profile as he approached. Without making a sound he stepped up beside her. She seemed to relax marginally when she noticed his presence, a sign he was welcome. They hadn't communicated much during her year away but seeing her again he knew he would do anything to keep her by his side.

In spite of his hopes and the encouraging pat on the shoulder from David as they left the cemetery Emma struck him down once again . Killian only wanted to be there for her, unlike many people had been earlier in her life. He had barely sat down across from her at Granny's when she lashed out at him and stated her intention to return to the city. Her words washed over him like acid, burning and all consuming. Unwilling to stay a moment longer he held her gaze and used those once special words as his goodbye.

As Killian walked towards the docks he tried not to dwell on the way something seemed to have shifted in her eyes as he had stood up. Despite his frustration he knew his feelings remained unchanged. A year had done nothing to quell what he felt for her, if anything it had taught him the importance of patience. Emma guarded her heart but Killian was resolved to be the one to finally unlock it.

* * *

Emma had stayed in town for a week. Killian had seen her walking around town with Mary Margaret or on her own but hadn't approached her. It had surprised him when he saw her sitting at Granny's two days after the funeral. He had ached to go in and pull up a chair beside her but wasn't sure if his presence would have been welcome. For the rest of the week when he saw her he felt that same pull to be near her but he always turned and walked away.

One afternoon, mid-week, David had invited Killian to dinner as they worked on the Jolly. David tried to be casual about mentioning that Emma would be there as well. An acceptance to the invitation had danced on the tip of Killian's tongue but he bit it back, choosing instead to keep up his miserable charade of not forcing himself into Emma's life. David had just rolled his eyes and told him that the invitation was always open.

Seven days had passed since Neal's funeral and Killian was tired of avoiding all his regular haunts in his attempt to give Emma space. When he saw Emma's bug parked in front of Granny's he didn't walk away but sat down at one of the patio tables instead. That way he was giving her the option to stop and talk to him, or not, without creating a scene.

When she stepped out of the diner with coffee cup in hand he saw her apology to him written across her face. Knowing how uncomfortable she was with words he gave her a smile that he hoped would communicate that all was forgiven. That she had nothing to apologize for in the first place.

He was on the verge of asking her to join him for a drink when she beat him to the punch. She was leaving and had no time for pleasantries if she wanted to make it back to the city at a decent hour. Killian felt the air rushing out of his lungs, he couldn't possibly let her leave without letting her know that nothing had changed.

Gently grabbing her hand he laid his heart out in front of her again. He told her that despite their year apart he still felt as he did before she left. He watched as her lips parted in surprise when he said that he had begun to hope things between them would grow with her return. He felt her fingers twitch in his when he promised he would wait for her, no matter how long it took. All he asked was that she come back, come back to Storybrooke and give them a chance to be something more.

It felt like he waited an eternity for her answer. She had smiled gently at him, squeezed his hand in hers. It was an exquisite torture watching her face light up as she formulated the words that could make or break him. So, when she finally spoke all it took were three little words to make his world complete.

"As you wish."


End file.
